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Today, in the late night edition, he talks about aliens and UFOs. How technology developed, time travel etc etc. Raja and Rahul discussed quite a few of these things . Rahul, it seems, is quite interested in these things and seemed to have some knowlege regarding those. Jitna buddhu lata hai, utna hai nahin. I've read of Rahul's ineterest in Extra terrestrial life. Here's an article from Mumbai mirror:(http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article§id=15&contentid=200807172008071702312820476a5f0ab)
Dogged by controversy after his father Pramod Mahajan's murder, first a drug abuse scandal and then a messy divorce, Rahul Mahajan is keen to showcase the newer space he has entered: the man has taken an obsessive liking to radio-astronomy, a field that seeks to make contact with life beyond our planet. The 33-year-old is now affiliated with an organisation called SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence), which is involved in many activities to detect and make contact with possible life sources in yonder galaxy, or even beyond. The former pilot in fact has already begun shooting a documentary titled "Hope" about his new field of interest, and one of the things Rahul Mahajan wishes to do via radio-astronomy is make contact with his late father.
How did you get into radio-astronomy, sending signals to reach life beyond earth?
Well, SETI is a huge organisation. They contacted me, since I was already logged onto their network. I am their media representative. I am currently making a film called "Hope" under my banner Vibrant Films which is about SETI's many virtues, its many possibilities. Dr. Frank Drake, the father of radio-astronomy came to India and met me. We went around teaching young children about radio-astronomy. It's the beginning of a much larger plan.
What does SETI do?
Well, SETI is based on the premise that we receive tons of signals, data from outer space. But we cannot process it ourselves. We need wide networks…And also we need to send signals back. It's based on the premise that there has to be life aside from planet Earth, and unless we try we'll never know. The film Contact was based on their scientist Jill Tarter. I've been in touch with her as well.
(Contact was a critically acclaimed film based on a novel by Carl Sagan on a female astronomer, who makes contact with extra-terrestrial life and visits outer space, where she eventually meets her dead father).
How did this all begin? Your relationship with space?
Well, as a kid I always loved science. Dad had done his BSc in Physics. He was also India's first IT minister. Through his tenure I visited many important labs and research centres, such as Bell Lab, etc…Then seven to eight years ago, I saw the 16 moons of Jupiter, through a telescope in the Philippines. You ought to have seen that. Once I saw that, I realised that this needs to be shared, this beauty outside our planet…it's so overwhelming…And then randomly, while surfing, I discovered SETI.
You believe in life beyond planet Earth then. That must be a fundamental premise to belong to such a club.
Dogged by controversy after his father Pramod Mahajan's murder, first a drug abuse scandal and then a messy divorce, Rahul Mahajan is keen to showcase the newer space he has entered: the man has taken an obsessive liking to radio-astronomy, a field that seeks to make contact with life beyond our planet. The 33-year-old is now affiliated with an organisation called SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence), which is involved in many activities to detect and make contact with possible life sources in yonder galaxy, or even beyond. The former pilot in fact has already begun shooting a documentary titled "Hope" about his new field of interest, and one of the things Rahul Mahajan wishes to do via radio-astronomy is make contact with his late father.
How did you get into radio-astronomy, sending signals to reach life beyond earth?
Well, SETI is a huge organisation. They contacted me, since I was already logged onto their network. I am their media representative. I am currently making a film called "Hope" under my banner Vibrant Films which is about SETI's many virtues, its many possibilities. Dr. Frank Drake, the father of radio-astronomy came to India and met me. We went around teaching young children about radio-astronomy. It's the beginning of a much larger plan.
What does SETI do?
Well, SETI is based on the premise that we receive tons of signals, data from outer space. But we cannot process it ourselves. We need wide networks…And also we need to send signals back. It's based on the premise that there has to be life aside from planet Earth, and unless we try we'll never know. The film Contact was based on their scientist Jill Tarter. I've been in touch with her as well.
(Contact was a critically acclaimed film based on a novel by Carl Sagan on a female astronomer, who makes contact with extra-terrestrial life and visits outer space, where she eventually meets her dead father).
How did this all begin? Your relationship with space?
Well, as a kid I always loved science. Dad had done his BSc in Physics. He was also India's first IT minister. Through his tenure I visited many important labs and research centres, such as Bell Lab, etc…Then seven to eight years ago, I saw the 16 moons of Jupiter, through a telescope in the Philippines. You ought to have seen that. Once I saw that, I realised that this needs to be shared, this beauty outside our planet…it's so overwhelming…And then randomly, while surfing, I discovered SETI.
You believe in life beyond planet Earth then. That must be a fundamental premise to belong to such a club.
| Rahul with his pet mastiff, Troy, in the compound of his building on Wednesday |
Absolutely, see the only justification is that there better be intelligent forms outside of earth, or we ourselves are aliens who might have landed here. Ironically, it was actually SETI that contacted me since I was logged into their system. It felt so nice that such senior scientists were contacting me, despite knowing about the many scandals and vicious lies spread about me by the media. The drug scandal, the divorce, the many other lies. But they were contacting me for something pure…that touched me.
Will you try and contact your father?
Well, of course that is the plan! I'm glad you asked me that…Yes, once I'm ready with all the data, once I'm ready to transmit…I will certainly send a signal out to dad…but before that we need to clear many misconceptions vis--vis outside life…
Such as what?
Like why should aliens be ugly? Or hostile? I want to erase such misgivings with my films. I want to make a film and call it "A Convenient Truth" or something…connecting with space is much purer than war. It's connected to the many good things we're trying to promote on our planet itself. Such as energy conservation...and co-existing with neighbours for instance, something that is the premise of so many global conflicts…It's not a question of if…merely when. Also, all of us can't send signals at once. The process has to be selective. Or else those on the other side of the frontier will think us to be a violent race thanks to the clamour.
There are many signals of many varying chronologies that are out there right now in space. Like Lucy is 80 light years away…it's not the exact number, but you'll get what I mean.
You mean Lucy the comedienne?
Yes, of the I Love Lucy show.
What next?
Well, I also want to build the biggest radio telescope in the world. The largest one is in Puerto Rico and is 305 metres in diameter. I want to make one that is one foot bigger than that.
(laughs)
Will you try and contact your father?
Well, of course that is the plan! I'm glad you asked me that…Yes, once I'm ready with all the data, once I'm ready to transmit…I will certainly send a signal out to dad…but before that we need to clear many misconceptions vis--vis outside life…
Such as what?
Like why should aliens be ugly? Or hostile? I want to erase such misgivings with my films. I want to make a film and call it "A Convenient Truth" or something…connecting with space is much purer than war. It's connected to the many good things we're trying to promote on our planet itself. Such as energy conservation...and co-existing with neighbours for instance, something that is the premise of so many global conflicts…It's not a question of if…merely when. Also, all of us can't send signals at once. The process has to be selective. Or else those on the other side of the frontier will think us to be a violent race thanks to the clamour.
There are many signals of many varying chronologies that are out there right now in space. Like Lucy is 80 light years away…it's not the exact number, but you'll get what I mean.
You mean Lucy the comedienne?
Yes, of the I Love Lucy show.
What next?
Well, I also want to build the biggest radio telescope in the world. The largest one is in Puerto Rico and is 305 metres in diameter. I want to make one that is one foot bigger than that.
(laughs)
The interview ends. Then Rahul takes us down to his building compound to introduce us to Troy. Once out of the elevator, a posse of security guards, dressed in identical grey safari suits and Raybans, surrounds him. Between them is Troy, a larger-than- life English mastiff, who lunges at the photographer. But Rahul Mahajan rushes in and puts an end to any such potential contact.
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